Too Draining For Me, But Not For MS Dhoni: Ashwin Explains IPL Retirement

Former India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who turns 39 in a couple of weeks, has opened up on why he decided to call time on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career. The veteran spinner admitted that the demands of surviving an entire IPL season had become too draining for him, prompting his retirement from the tournament.

Ashwin officially announced his retirement from the IPL on August 27 but made it clear that he isn’t walking away from the game altogether. Instead, the legendary offspinner plans to continue playing in franchise T20 leagues around the world.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed that the hectic two-to-three-month IPL schedule was becoming difficult to cope with as he grew older. He also expressed admiration for MS Dhoni, who continues to compete in the league at the age of 44.

“I was thinking if I can play IPL next year. Three months of IPL is a little too much for me. It’s draining. This is one of the reasons why I’m awe-struck by seeing someone like MS Dhoni. As you grow older, the bandwidth to play IPL becomes lesser,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Over the course of his 16-year IPL career, Ashwin represented five different franchises - Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Super Giants, and Rajasthan Royals. In the 2025 season, he returned to CSK, the franchise where his IPL journey had begun.

However, the veteran couldn’t make the desired impact in his final season and was also dropped for a few games. Still, his overall IPL record remains impressive - 187 wickets in 217 innings at an average of 30.2 and an economy rate of just 7.2.